Two-Day Self-Driving Tour in Fangshan District, Beijing on June 19, 2021
Two-Day Self-Driving Tour in Fangshan District, Beijing on June 19, 2021
At 7:00 a.m. on June 19, 2021, my wife and I set off from Tianjin right on schedule, driving to the Zhoukoudian Peking Man Site Museum in Fangshan District, Beijing. We arrived at 9:15 a.m., entered the museum at 9:20, and came out at 10:10. The museum is not large, and the exhibitions are fairly average. Afterwards, we walked to the Site Park, which is about 500 meters away. Parking at the Site Park is charged, while museum parking is free. In fact, there are plenty of free parking spots along the roadside outside. The Site Park itself is quite nice, set on a small hill, and we spent a full 1.5 hours exploring it, including the caves at the original excavation site. After coming out, we drove to Yunju Temple, arriving at 1:10 p.m. Yunju Temple closes at 4 p.m., and they started clearing visitors around 3:40 p.m. At 1:30 p.m. we began following a guided tour, which takes about one hour to complete a full circuit. Originally, we planned to visit the nearby Shijing Mountain, but they stop allowing people up after 3 p.m., and we heard that a round trip up and down takes about two hours. So we cancelled that plan and went through Yunju Temple again on our own, only leaving when the staff cleared the site. Then we drove towards Shangfang Mountain. Shangfang Mountain also stops admitting hikers after 4 p.m., so we decided to check into a local farmhouse right there. The east gate serves Shangfang Mountain, and the west gate leads to Yunshui Cave, where there are plenty of farmhouse accommodations. The next day, at 8:30 a.m. sharp, we took the cable car up from Yunshui Cave and were the very first visitors to enter the cave that day. We hiked down on foot instead of taking the Shangfang Mountain cable car. The "Heavenly Ladder" actually has only 262 steps, so it wasn't very challenging. We reached the mouth of Shangfang Mountain at 12:20 p.m., having spent almost exactly 4 hours exploring. The mountain is wonderfully cool. A handy tip: if you stay at a local farmhouse, you can get discounts on parking and cable car tickets. We drove off around 12:50 p.m. towards Nangjiao Shuiyu Village, arriving at 2:20 p.m. Not knowing the area well at first, we parked in the central square (by the village committee office), when we could actually have driven all the way up to the reservoir above. Instead, we walked up on foot. The reservoir is not big. Coming down, we hitched a ride with some kind people, which saved us the walk. The main draw of Nangjiao Shuiyu Village is its ancient village quarter, which you enter through a small opening near the supermarket. The village itself is just okay, not as distinctive as several other stone villages we’ve visited before. We started the drive back at 4:10 p.m. and arrived safely home at exactly 7 p.m. The entire trip covered 462 kilometers by car. Petrol stations around Beijing offer no discounts at all—nothing cheap.
Day 1: Tianjin → Zhoukoudian Peking Man Site Museum → Yunju Temple → Yunshui Cave, overnight at a farmhouse near Yunshui Cave.
Day 2: Yunshui Cave → Shangfang Mountain → Nangjiao Shuiyu Village → Tianjin.
Below is the guide I prepared before the trip, for reference only.
Zhoukoudian Peking Man Site Museum (4A) is located at No. 1 Zhoukoudian Street, Zhoukoudian Town, in the southwest of Fangshan District, Beijing. The scenic area is built around the Zhoukoudian Peking Man Site, featuring a museum, the site park, and natural scenery. It is about 50 km from the city center, suitable for visitors with an interest in history. Peak season: 09:00–16:00 (April 1–October 10); off-season: 09:00–15:30 (October 11–March 31 of the following year). Two free guided tours are offered daily inside the museum.
The scenic area is now mainly divided into two parts. One is the museum, where displays of texts, pictures, fossils, bones, and numerous excavated artifacts show the living scenes and evolutionary history of "Peking Man," along with films and interactive games—you can tour and explore at your own pace.
The other part is the Site Park, located right behind the museum. It is a small hill where you can see several cave sites along the way and observe the living environment of prehistoric humans from the cave openings. The path also offers pleasant scenery—small gorges, waterfalls, and a hilltop viewing platform—all worth a leisurely stroll. A full circuit takes roughly 1.5 to 2 hours.
(It is recommended to take the cable car up and down. Shangfang Mountain 3A, Yunshui Cave 3A, Yunju Temple 4A.) Shangfang Mountain Forest Park (3A) is 70 km from Beijing and renowned for its peculiar peaks, dense forests, secluded caves, and ancient temples. The park’s landscapes include the famous "Nine Caves and Twelve Peaks" and 72 Zen temples headed by Doushuai Temple, making it a scenic area that combines forests, caves, temples, mountains, and rocks. It hosts a rare secondary primeval forest rarely seen in North China and dozens of ancient and famous trees. Historically called the "Deep Chamber of Youyan," it enjoys the reputation: "In the south there is Suzhou and Hangzhou; in the north there is Shangfang Mountain."
Covering over 5,300 mu (about 353 hectares), the park is filled with rare trees and exotic flowers, including more than a hundred medicinal plants alone. Sealwort, raisin tree fruit, and Chinese toon are known as the "Three Treasures" of Shangfang Mountain. Millennial pines and cypresses also grow on the mountain. Shangfang Mountain is a famous Buddhist mountain, and the "Cloud Ladder"—256 steep stone steps along a cliff—must be climbed to reach Doushuai Temple. Other major sights include Yidou Spring, Wanghai Nunnery, and the Sutra Depository.
The main peak rises to 860 meters above sea level. The total area is 340 hectares, with forest coverage exceeding 90% and 625 plant species. Shangfang Mountain has a 2,000-year history of Buddhist culture and is a comprehensive national forest park combining nature, Buddhism, and karst caves.
The west gate of Shangfang Mountain’s Yunshui Cave is on the western side of Shangfang Mountain National Forest Park and can only be accessed by cable car. The views of the surrounding giant boulders from the cable car are stunning. After getting off the cable car, it’s a five-minute walk to the cave. When descending, you can hike down via the east gate of Shangfang Mountain. There are many steps, so taking the cable car is better.
If you enter via the east gate, you must take the shuttle bus. The recommended route is to take the cable car up at Yunshui Cave (50 yuan per person) and descend via Shangfang Mountain—a big loop. The west gate does not allow walking down; if you don’t take the cable car, you’ll have to turn back. Taking the cable car from Shangfang Mountain’s east gate (30 yuan per person) lets you bypass the Heavenly Ladder and the sections with dense steps. After getting off the cable car, it’s still a 3,600-meter walk to Yunshui Cave. That stretch is comparatively easy, without dense staircases. If you hike the entire route on foot, it may take more than four hours. After leaving the west gate, you can take bus F15 (3 stops) back to the east gate.
Yunju Temple (4A) is located in Fangshan District, Beijing, about 70 km from the city center. First built in the late Sui and early Tang dynasties, it was originally named "Zhiquan Temple" and later renamed "Yunju Temple." Since ancient times, people have carved Buddhist scriptures on stone slabs at the temple. The small mountain behind it—Shijing Mountain (Stone Scriptures Mountain)—got its name from this practice. Today, Yunju Temple is a popular destination for worship and blessings, with very active incense offerings. A highlight is the flesh-body Buddha relic discovered inside the temple, which draws countless pilgrims to pay homage and pray for blessings for themselves and their loved ones. Incense for offerings must be purchased inside the temple, at around 10 yuan. At the small hill behind the temple, there is an exhibition room for stone-slab scriptures, some displayed underground within vaults. You can wander around and view the stone scriptures at leisure. There is also a thousand-year-old ancient pagoda on the hill, built during the Tang dynasty, exuding a rich sense of antiquity and perfect for photography. Open year-round: 09:00–16:00.
Yunju Temple is one of China’s first batch of key cultural relic protection sites and a national AAAA-level scenic area. Its "Three Uniquenesses"—stone scriptures, paper scriptures, and woodblock scriptures—and its "Four Treasures"—Buddha relic, Tang and Liao ancient pagodas, red copper giant Buddha, and the ancient Yunju bell—attract tens of thousands of visitors every year. The sculptures inside the arch of the Tang pagoda from the tenth year of the Kaiyuan era are stunning! Moreover, there are Buddha images on all three sides of the arch! In the other three small Tang pagodas, most have stone carvings remaining on only one side of the arch. The musicians, scroll-leaf motifs, and lotus petals are very clear. Some even retain traces of coloured paintings. The four marble pagodas surrounding the North Pagoda date to the Tang dynasty.
Yunju Temple lies at the foot of Baidai Mountain in Beijing’s Fangshan District, 70 km from the city centre. It was first built in the fifth year of Tang Zhenguan era (631) and, after successive renovations, grew into five courtyards and six rows of halls. In 1942, it was bombed and destroyed by Japanese invading forces. After liberation, it underwent two large-scale restorations. Yunju Temple preserves stone, paper, and wood editions of the complete scriptures, most famously the 14,278 stone-slab scriptures. During the Daye period of Emperor Yang of Sui (605–618), the monk Jingwan of Zhiquan Temple in Zhuo County, Youzhou Prefecture, following his master’s instruction, commenced the stone scripture carving project on Baidai Mountain. Carving continued through subsequent dynasties until the 30th year of Qing Kangxi reign (1691). The stone scriptures are stored in nine caves on Shijing Mountain and in an underground vault southwest of Yunju Temple. In the 1980s, two red flesh-body relics were unearthed in the Leiyin (Thunder Sound) Cave on Shijing Mountain. Commonly known as "Little Western Heaven," the mountain rises to 450 meters. It is not only the birthplace of the Fangshan stone scripture carving but also the site where the Buddha relics were discovered. The 4,196 Sui and Tang stone scriptures are national treasures. Numerous historic relics, including Leiyin Cave and Princess Jinxian Pagoda, are also found here. What to see at Yunju Temple: 1. Worship—Yunju Temple is staffed by resident monks. 2. Scriptures—the temple has been associated with printed Buddhist scriptures from the outset. The best-known are the stone scriptures (the original site is on Shijing Mountain), but there are also paper-copied, woodblock, and even aluminium scriptures, all with dedicated exhibitions and introductions. 3. Pay homage to the Buddha relic—reportedly discovered beneath a stone pagoda on Shijing Mountain and now enshrined in Yunju Temple, where it can be viewed up close. 4. Architecture, especially stone pagodas from different eras. The four Tang pagodas around the North Pagoda still retain stone sculptures inside their niches, including the Jingyun 2nd-year pagoda (built in 711 AD), the oldest known surviving pagoda in Beijing.
Yunju Temple was founded in the fifth year of Tang Zhenguan (631) by the monk Jingwan. By the time of Emperor Shengzong of the Liao dynasty (983–1011), it had expanded into five courtyards and six rows of halls, with renovations through the Jin, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. Yunju Temple is famed for its stone, paper, and wood scriptures. South and north of the temple stand two facing Liao pagodas. The South Pagoda, also called the Sutra Pagoda, had underground scripture vaults; the pagoda itself no longer exists. The North Pagoda is a Liao brick reliquary pagoda, also known as the "Arhat Pagoda," first built during the Tianqing years of the Liao (1111–1120). Over 30 meters tall, it uniquely combines pavilion-style, inverted-bowl, and vajra throne forms.
Gu'zhai (Lonely Fortress) Scenic Area lies in Qidu village and is named after three isolated peaks. Located in the Shidu area, it features many geological wonders that vividly represent millions of years of geological change. Gu'zhai is one of the best-known gorges within the Shidu scenic area, roughly 10 km deep. Walking into the gorge, you are greeted by towering peaks on both sides, jagged rocks, and as you go deeper, the terrain becomes steeper, the gorge narrows, vegetation grows lusher, and the scenery more enchanting. Flowers bloom throughout the year, filling the air with fragrance. Wandering through Gu'zhai, you can savour the breeze stirring the woods, insects chirping among the rocks, layers of emerald mountains, and sweet springs that seem to play a melody. Every step is a view, and the four seasons are picture-perfect. Early spring brings mountain flowers in full bloom; in summer, the greenery is so lush it almost drips, springs gush forth, and the temperature stays below 25°C; autumn winds carry a crisp coolness, with maples blazing like fire and persimmons weighing down the branches; in winter, white snow wraps the landscape while green pines dot the scene. The area boasts exceptional natural tourism resources, including the "Line of Sky" where the ancient legend of "Splitting the Mountain to Rescue Mother" is said to have taken place, plus sights like "Mountain Gate Welcoming Guests," "Fairy Maiden’s Bathing Pool," "Nine Dragons Embracing a Stone," "Five Old Men Peaks," "Eternal Riverbed," "Heart-Cleansing Pool," "Stone Within a Stone," "Yinching Ice Valley," "Water-Cherishing Pool," and "Elder Brother Spring Bursting Forth." Everywhere you look, the unusual rocks are a feast for the eyes. Open year-round: 08:00–17:00.
(Not recommended) The scenic park shuttle bus ends at a fork in the road, covering about 800 meters—even measured from outside the gate, it is no more than 1 km. It costs 10 yuan per person, but you can bargain down to 5 yuan. The walk only takes about 5 minutes. You can stop by the restrooms on the way. At the shuttle bus terminus, two paths branch off: one leads to the Waterfall Cluster, the other to the Line of Sky. I naturally chose the Line of Sky, following the ancient riverbed and climbing all the way. Along the route, you can gaze at Little Lonely Peak, see the thousand-year-old vine and the highlight—the Line of Sky, reputed to be the largest in North China. It is indeed very long and deep; after hiking for quite a while, it’s a perfect spot to cool down! Further ahead lies Little Lonely Peak, where there is a "No Visitors" sign nearby; you can rest or have a meal here, though noon sun can be harsh. Alternatively, walk a bit further to a pavilion—the scenery there is uniquely beautiful. The main highlights are the ancient riverbed and the Line of Sky. The mountain is not tall and climbing is not overly tiring, though the stony path is hard on the feet; a walking stick is recommended to protect your joints. The other path from the gate leads to the Waterfall Cluster. Due to limited time, I didn’t venture along it, just took a photo at the entrance; it is said that these are artificial waterfalls with controlled water release. Before leaving the main gate, don’t miss the iron suspension bridge just outside—it’s well worth a visit.
The Zhangfang Ancient Military Tunnel is located in Zhangfang Village, Zhangfang Town, Fangshan District, Beijing. It is an ancient tunnel (secret passage) built during the Zhenzong reign of the Northern Song dynasty. The tunnel extends about 4 meters below the ground, has a blue brick structure, is 2 meters wide and 2–3 meters high, with a blue brick floor. The sides feature drainage channels, water storage urns, wall lamps, and ventilation holes cut into the ceiling. On both sides of the tunnel are troop-hiding rooms about 2 meters wide, with heated brick beds inside. The tunnel network stretches in all directions, winding through the underground and connecting to the gate towers of the old town’s four gates. Preliminary surveys estimate a total length of 1,500 meters, with over 400 meters already discovered and restored. During the Song–Liao confrontation, the tunnel’s excellent military characteristics—enabling both combat and defense—kept the Liao forces in the Youzhou region pinned down defensively and unable to move south. In the Ming dynasty, the tunnel’s military role was further exploited. During the Hongwu era, as Yuan dynasty nobles fled to the Mongolian desert but mounted periodic southern incursions, the tunnel became a Ming bastion against the Mongols. According to the Fangshan County Annals: "Seventy li southwest of the county seat, Zhangfang Street’s north tower rises several zhang, with a gate facing south. The lower level is hollow, very dark inside; a tunnel underneath extends northwest for roughly two li to Ren Family Tomb, where Ren was said to be a Cabinet Elder. At the halfway turn from the lower to the middle floor, there is a well, rumoured to have a trap of knives and swords; those who fall in have no hope of survival. A statue of Biyuan Lord stands inside. The top floor offers distant views; both upper and middle floors also connect to the tunnel." Zhangfang boasts not only the ancient town and towers, but also the Daliao Tianqing ancient pagoda, which echoes the Iron Cable Cliff of Juma River and Sun Bin Mountain, and forms a chain with Yunju Temple, Zhongshan Temple, Huanggutu, Xiasi Tang Pagoda, Zhenjiangying Pagoda, Zhaota Pagoda, and others, welcoming visitors to share in the profound Chinese civilization. Discovered in 1991, over 400 meters are now restored and open to the public. The tunnel interior is relatively spacious and very cool in summer. Even on weekends, there are few visitors. Admission is 45 yuan.
Dougezhuang Pagoda is located west of Dougezhuang Village, Qinglonghu Town, Fangshan District, Beijing. First built in the Ming dynasty, the pagoda faces east, stands about 15 meters tall, and is an octagonal, multi-eaved brick pagoda. The top of the Sumeru base is adorned with three tiers of brick lotus petals, while the waist of the base is carved with the Eight Buddhist Symbols—wheel, conch, umbrella, canopy, flower, vase, fish, and endless knot—on eight sides, now illegible due to severe weathering. Except for the arched entrance on the front, the other sides feature brick-carved imitation wooden windows and doors. A distinctive feature of this pagoda is its abundant lotus motif decoration: it is supported by three tiers of lotus at the base, every two eaves are decorated with matching upward- and downward-facing lotus petals at the centre, and it is capped with a lotus finial—exquisitely beautiful. The whole pagoda is largely intact, and devout worshippers often come here to pay homage. Open all day, free of charge.
Nangjiao Shuiyu Village is located in Nangjiao Township, Fangshan District, 80 km southwest of Beijing, 8 km from National Highway 108. The village is 52 km from the township center, 10 km from the Silver Fox Cave area of the National Shihua Cave Geological Park. It has 436 registered households and 1,031 residents, of whom 141 are permanent households with 295 people. The party branch has 5 members; the village committee has 3; the economic cooperative has 3; all three teams have overlapping posts, with an average age of 48. There are 57 party members, average age 61. In 2003, the total economic income was 16.19 million yuan, of which collective income was 290,000 yuan and self-managed income 15.9 million yuan; per capita labour income was 3,980 yuan. The village’s arable land totals 1,714 mu, of which 1,528 mu is under the Grain-for-Green Program, mostly planted with chestnut and persimmon saplings—45,840 saplings altogether. Mature fruit trees number 19,730, including 8,000 persimmon, 11,500 walnut, and 230 chestnut trees. Another 4,380 mu are forested, with the Shuiquanbei forest still in a pristine state and of potential tourism value.
Shuiyu Village is a deep-mountain settlement spread along a northwest-southeast gully, with terrain high in the southwest and low in the northeast, averaging 500–800 meters above sea level. A 100,000-cubic-meter reservoir was built south of the village, holding water year-round. There are three wells with abundant water; tap water reaches every street for drinking and livestock use. A ring of 4,500-meter pipelines draws reservoir water to irrigate young trees. The natural surroundings remain well preserved. Particularly valuable are over 600 rooms in more than 100 Ming- and Qing-era courtyard houses on the gentle eastern slope, still largely intact. An S-shaped bluestone path runs through the village, which is circular, faces south and is built against the mountain, creating a distinctive architectural style. Representative buildings include the Yang Family Mansion, the Urn Gate, and the Niangniang Temple.
The Yang Family Mansion, called the "Landlord’s Courtyard" by villagers, stands on the western hill of Shuiyu. Built during the Qianlong period of the Qing dynasty, the main structure follows the northern Chinese style, constructed from stone in a four-entry-four-exit layout. The gate tower is exquisite, with dragon-wrapped lintels and floral stone carvings under the eaves, flanked by a pair of Qing-style stone drums. The Urn Gate refers to the arch of the village’s East Gong Bridge; a white stone tablet with the characters “Ningshui” (Quiet Water) is carved into it, signifying the bridge’s role in calming floods. In addition, the village has been named a Folk Cultural Tourism Village by the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Tourism, and the widely known "Shuiyu Zhongfan" (banner pole) performance and "Dagu" (drum) troupe originated here. This year, the village invested over 500,000 yuan to install 128 stone rollers throughout the village, re-creating the ancient folk culture of a mountain village.
There are many ancient villages in suburban Beijing. Most people immediately think of Cuandixia Village, or Qingshui Village which became famous because of the TV show "Where Are We Going, Dad?" However, compared to these increasingly commercialized villages, Shuiyu Village is a truly ancient village. Although it has been officially designated and replanned, it is completely free of commercial atmosphere. In 2012, it won the title of “Beijing’s Most Beautiful Village” and in the same year was included in the first batch of the “Traditional Chinese Ancient Villages List”, making it a great destination for photography enthusiasts and visitors who love being photographed. There are many visual elements: ancient houses, ancient stone rollers, flagstone paths, ancient trees, wooden doors, stone walls… There is no direct expressway; most people take the Jingkun Road. Parking guide: The parking lot at the village committee is fairly spacious and not far from the sights. Suggested route: Starting from the village committee, a small river divides the village into east and west sides. The east side has more sights, including the famous stone rollers, Shiban Renjia Hele Noodles, the tethering stone, Daloutai, etc., with a gentle uphill walk. Be sure to search for “Shuiyu Village Folk Tourism Village” in your navigation, because there are also Shangshuiyu and Xiashuiyu villages; only the one in Nangjiao Township is the one to visit. Recommended duration: 2–2.5 hours.
Shuiyu Village began to form in the early Ming dynasty. The mountain village still preserves over 100 old courtyard houses that are largely intact and exude a rustic, timeworn charm. Staying in the village, you wake to roosters crowing, dogs barking, birdsong, and the fragrance of flowers. After enjoying a farm-style meal, you can wander around the ancient houses and yards, and if the villagers are rehearsing their performances, you can cheer them on and enjoy the show. The three biggest draws of Shuiyu Village are: ancient houses, ancient stone rollers, and the ancient Zhongfan banner performance. The first impression is that it’s a stone village—stone-paved paths, stone-slab houses, stone rollers, stone courtyard walls. Among these stone dwellings, quite a few uninhabited ones still stand. Strolling among ancient houses steeped in time, you feel as if you’ve stepped through a time tunnel into a tranquil, isolated world of the past. Stone rollers from various eras can be seen everywhere. The villagers tell us there are altogether 128 stone rollers in the village, and some are still in use today, grinding corn. The rollers may look identical at first glance, but upon closer inspection, the details are all different, and each roller dates from a different era. The Zhongfan banner performance has been perfected in this ancient village. Originally a folk activity to pray for rain and blessings, the villagers gradually turned it into a collective performance handed down through generations, and it has been recognized as Beijing intangible cultural heritage. You can see the villagers rehearsing and performing on a daily basis.
Wanfo Hall is built into the mountainside in Wanfotang Village, Hebei Town, Fangshan District, at the entrance to Beibanbidian Village. There are three halls, constructed as beamless vaulted halls of blue brick. The complex was first built in the Tang dynasty, originally named “Dali Chan Temple,” and later renamed “Dali Wanfo Longquan Treasure Hall” after reconstruction during the Ming Wanli period. Inside, the entire wall features the “Ten Thousand Bodhisattvas Dharma Assembly” tableau—a huge 23.08-meter-long, 2.47-meter-high raised relief carved on 31 pieces of white marble during the fifth year of the Tang Dali era. The figures display varied expressions and are remarkably lifelike, making it a rare Tang dynasty relief masterpiece. Below Wanfo Hall lies a natural karst cave—Kongshui Cave. A spring gushes within, with a source of unfathomable depth. “Floating Boats on Kongshui” is one of the Eight Famous Views of Fangshan. There are inscriptions at the cave entrance, and the cave walls bear carved scriptures and stone Buddha statues from the Sui and Tang periods. In 1982, Kongshui Cave temporarily dried up, and during dredging, seven small golden dragon figures were unearthed, adding to its mystery. The renowned Kongshui Cave beneath Wanfo Hall is a huge cavern formed in Ordovician limestone, with a vigorous spring inside. Four sides of the octagonal pagoda body feature arched doors; the south door provides access to the central chamber. The other three are blind doors. The pagoda’s outer walls are decorated with relief carvings of bodhisattvas and guardian warriors.
